Frozen blueberries sold at Publix grocery stores have been recalled because of contamination with E. coli O145:H28. Twelve people have fallen ill.
On July 3, Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. — the Chilean grower-packer that sells under the Comfrut brand — announced the recall of its 10-ounce GreenWise Organic IQF (individually quick frozen) Blueberries after the product tested presumptively positive for E. coli O145:H28, a Shiga toxin–producing E. coli (STEC). The frozen berries were distributed exclusively to Publix stores across eight states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
The recall covers a single lot – code 6040 01 – with a Best By date of Feb. 9, 2028. According to the company, the recall was prompted by reports of consumers who fell ill after eating the berries, and the notice states there have been 12 confirmed cases of stomach illnesses between May 11 and June 5, 2026 linked to E. coli O145:H28.
Food safety attorney Bill Marler of Seattle says the situation is disconcerting.
“Here is what bothers me. As of this writing, the ‘12 cases’ figure comes from the company — not from a health authority. I cannot find a matching outbreak notice from either the FDA or the CDC,” Marler said. “FDA’s Investigations of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks table carries no entry for GreenWise blueberries, no CORE reference number, and no agency case count. CDC’s foodborne outbreak page shows no dedicated notice. There is no publicly disclosed PulseNet cluster ID for this event, and no official hospitalization, HUS, or death tally.
“To be fair, the company’s notice says it is ‘working closely with the appropriate regulatory authorities,’ so there may well be a non-public FDA interaction already underway. But that is precisely the point: as of publication, no agency has posted anything the public can actually see. Whatever is happening behind the scenes, the silence facing consumers is total.”
E. coli O145:H28 has become one of the more persistent STEC serotypes in recent surveillance, and it has an uncomfortable track record of causing clusters that public health investigators never manage to pin to a food:
2025 (FDA CORE ref #1303). CDC notified FDA of an O145:H28 cluster (PulseNet ID 2504MLENM) with 11 cases, isolation dates in late March through early April 2025. Three were hospitalized. There was one HUS case and one death attributed to STEC. The vehicle was never identified.2024 (FDA CORE ref #1282). Another O145:H28 cluster, 8 cases, again closed with the food source “not identified.”United Kingdom, 2024. A national O145:H28 outbreak grew to nearly 300 cases with 11 HUS cases and two deaths, ultimately traced to lettuce. UK authorities have flagged O145:H28 as one of the most common STEC serotypes they now detect.
About E. coli infections
Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled blueberries and developed symptoms of E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about their possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific tests are required to diagnose the infections, which can mimic other illnesses.
The symptoms of E. coli infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Some patients may also have a fever. Most patients recover within five to seven days. Others can develop severe or life-threatening symptoms and complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
About 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening kidney failure complication, known as a hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, small unexplained bruises or bleeding, and pallor.
Many people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent injuries or death. This condition can occur among people of any age but is most common in children younger than five years old because of their immature immune systems, older adults because of deteriorating immune systems, and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients.
People who experience HUS symptoms should immediately seek emergency medical care. People with HUS will likely be hospitalized because the condition can cause other serious and ongoing problems such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, brain damage, and neurologic problems.